Maplehurst has 'milestone' showing during album debut

Jenna Weaver, left, Gideon Klein, middle, and David Platillero, right, three of the five Maplehurst band members perform at The Square Room on Nov. 1.

Expectation, anticipation and excitement.

This was just a sliver of the atmosphere before local indie-jazz band Maplehurst took the stage at The Square Room Friday night.

Maplehurst is made up of Cole Campbell on drums, Gideon Klein on cello and bass, David Platillero on guitar and vocals, Will Sliger on piano and vocals and Jenna Weaver on guitar and vocals.

The band formed October of 2012 and has since been developing its fan base in Knoxville and Chattanooga.

The show opened with Garrett Sale of local band William Wild playing an acoustic set before Maplehurst took the stage.

The band started with a set of melodic, soft songs from its self-titled album before finishing the concert with the slow-building "One Dark Night" that culminated in hand-clapping and a standing ovation.

Dylan Snowden, a senior in electrical engineering, said the group's unique conceptualization of indie jazz made the concert memorable.

"I like Maplehurst's music because it has detailed complex arrangements inherited by jazz but floating over top are infectious and memorable melodies," Snowden said. "They make complex music palatable to a wide audience."

The diverse audience spanned various generations, coming together in the name of appreciating Maplehurst's distinctive sound and unified stage presence. The band has played together for a year and Ashley Paul, a senior in special education, said its chemistry is evident.

"The way they mix together is phenomenal," Paul said. "Each of their styles is brought to the table and mixed together and it sounds incredible."

Throughout the show, principal songwriters Weaver and Platillero shared anecdotes about the process and stories behind their songs. One song in particular, "Dreams," held special meaning to Platillero.

"I think of this one as the staple song for Maplehurst," Platillero said before playing the song. "There was a guitar lick I had written but hadn't found words for, and Jenna just sat down and came up with lyrics."

Snowden, who is a friend of the band, has seen the progression in the artistic styles of Maplehurst.

"Friday night's show ended up being a true milestone in their music careers," Snowden said. "They have been developing the artistic ideas and arrangements for the album over the past couple of months, and now they have a developed stage presence to really perform their songs in front of an audience."

For the audience, the highlight of the show was during the encore when the band came to the back of the venue and performed an acoustic version of their song "October," taking its cue from local band Cereus Bright among others.

As the audience gathered close, Maplehurst sang lyrics that encompassed its experience as a band, "Who can say when the journey will end / Who can say when we'll take a new direction / But here today we choose what seems our path / And either way we won't be looking back."